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Saturday features a four-game main MLB slate, and the action on DraftKings gets underway at 7:15 p.m. ET. Let’s go position-by-position and break down everything you’ll need to know to set your lineups.
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PITCHER
Stud
Frankie Montas, Oakland Athletics at San Francisco Giants ($9,200) – This is an ugly pitching slate, but it’s a four-game slate. On the surface, Montas looks like a bad play against San Francisco. He has to battle one of the best right-handed hitting teams in baseball (111 wRC+, .329 wOBA and a .196 ISO), but this team is not at full strength. Buster Posey ($4,200) was scratched from Friday night’s game due to back tightness and Brandon Belt (knee) joined Evan Longoria (shoulder) and Tommy La Stella (hamstring, thumb) on the IL. Montas has struck out six or more batters in five of the past six games, and he’s scored 19 or more fantasy points in six of his 10 starts. It’s not a perfect play, but the bar must be lowered on small slates.
Other Option: Julio Urías ($9,500)
Value
Dinelson Lamet, San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($7,300) – The Diamondbacks cannot hit right-handed pitching (80 wRC+, .288 wOBA and a .129 ISO). The concern with Lamet is his pitch limit. The Padres have slowly stretched him out, and in his last outing, he threw 81 pitches and scored 26.3 DKFP against the Reds. The pitching on this slate is ugly, so it’s reasonable to completely believe that Lamet is back to regular form. Five innings from a pitcher with a 15% swinging-strike rate, 70% contact rate and a 27% K rate should be more than enough on this slate.
Other Option: Merrill Kelly ($6,500)
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CATCHER
Stud
Gary Sánchez, New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox ($4,600) – He is not cooling off. Sánchez has seven home runs since June 8 and has a .511 wOBA, .533 ISO and a 231 wRC+ over that 13-game span. Nathan Eovaldi ($7,800) is a solid pitcher (3.66 xFIP), but he is allowing a .343 wOBA to right-handed batters.
Other Option: Buster Posey ($4,200)
Value
Victor Caratini, San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,200) – Merrill Kelly ($6,500) is terrible against right-handed batters, but if he blows up, then Caratini will get opportunities with runners in scoring position. Either way, Caratini will get to face the worst bullpen against left-handed batters (4.94 xFIP, 1.7 HR/9 and a 38% hard contact rate).
Other Option: Christian Vázquez ($3,900), Will Smith ($4,100)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Bat Flip [$20K to 1st]
FIRST BASE
Stud
Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs ($5,100) – Alec Mills ($6,000) should not be starting games, but Trevor Williams (abdomen) is on the IL. Against 64 left-handed batters, Mills has a 5.35 xFIP. He is allowing a .414 wOBA and has only struck out 13% of the lefties that he has faced. Muncy has a .390 wOBA, .255 ISO and a 153 wRC+ against right-handed pitching.
Other Option: Matt Olson ($5,500)
Value
Asdrubal Cabrera, Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres ($2,900) – Most of the Diamondbacks struggle with right-handed pitching, but Cabrera is an exception. He’s not a world-beater, but his numbers stand out on a four-game slate (.335 wOBA and a 112 wRC+). Lamet has been good against right- and left-handed batters, but he has allowed a 43% hard contact rate to left-handed batters.
Other Option: Bobby Dalbec ($3,200)
SECOND BASE
Stud
Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs ($4,800) – Right-handed batters have not been able to get to the aforementioned Mills. He’s allowed 34% hard contact and his strikeout rate is below average (19%), but he induces a 60% ground ball rate with a heavy helping of sinkers. Taylor has a .346 wOBA against sinkers this season. Last season, he had a .414 wOBA against sinkers.
Other Option: Jake Cronenworth (4,300)
Value
Tony Kemp, Oakland Athletics at San Francisco Giants ($3,000) – Since June 1, Kemp has a .443 wOBA and a .262 ISO and he is one of the best-kept secrets in baseball. His salary hasn’t budged all month, and this is another opportunity to take advantage of the discount. Kemp has been hot this month and in 36 at-bats against left-handed pitching, Kemp has a .392 wOBA, .192 ISO and a 156 wRC+. Surprisingly, Alex Wood ($8,500) has struggled with left-handed batters the season (4.46 xFIP, .371 wOBA, .214 ISO, 1.9 HR/9 and a 13% K rate),
Other Option: Wilmer Flores ($4,000), Eduardo Escobar ($3,800)
THIRD BASE
Stud
Manny Machado, San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,500) – Over the first two months of the season, Machado had a .319 wOBA and a .170 ISO. In June, he has a .395 wOBA and a .272 ISO. The Padres’ “Swagg Chain” has become a regular fashion accessory for Machado. A Padres stack against Kelly — who is allowing a .353 wOBA, .221 ISO, 36% hard contact rate and 2.0 HR/9 to right-handed batters — will likely be the most popular stack on this four-game slate.
Other Option: Matt Chapman ($5,300)
Value
Zach McKinstry, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs ($3,300) – With Cody Bellinger ($3,900) and Corey Seager (hand) spending most of their time on the IL, McKinstry has stepped up in their absence. He has a .332 wOBA, .213 ISO, 114 wRC+ and a 38% hard contact rate against right-handed pitching, and he homered on Friday night.
Other Option: Patrick Wisdom ($3,400)
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,800) – Players can’t flip their bats and strut around during the Home Run Derby, so Tatis will not be participating. Last night, Tatis flipped his bat and danced around the bases three times. He is the best player on a 400-game main slate, let alone a four-game main slate.
Other Option: Xander Bogaerts ($4,800)
Value
Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants vs. Oakland Athletics ($4,500) – The only reason to fade Tatis is if he’s not in the lineup, and if that’s the case, Crawford is a viable value option. The Giants’ hitters are not household names, but they should be. They have been the second-best team against right-handed pitching this month (.369 wOBA, .230 ISO and a 137 wRC+), and Crawford is leading the way (.376 wOBA, .295 ISO and a 143 wRC+).
Other Option: Marwin Gonzalez ($2,700)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox ($5,700) – Since June 8, Stanton has a .457 wOBA, .277 ISO and a 195 wRC+. Against right-handed pitching, he has .398 wOBA, .290 ISO, 155 wRC+ and a 47% hard contact rate. It’s worth mentioning that this is a night game because Stanton has a .287 wOBA and a .088 ISO during the day, but at night he has a .414 wOBA and a .299 ISO.
Other Option: Mookie Betts ($5,400)
Value
Tommy Pham, San Diego Padres vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,200) – Lost in the sauce is how good Pham is playing. His xwOBA (.379) has been higher than his wOBA (.347) all season, but over the last month, the balls are finally bouncing his way (.423 wOBA and a .257 ISO in June). Unfortunately, when Tatis hits three home runs, no one remembers that Pham homered, too.
Other Option: Darin Ruf ($3,800), Wil Myers ($3,400)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Bat Flip [$20K to 1st]
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